Should chaplains provide humanist and other nontheist support?

SGT Alicia Brenneis even a properly trained counselor could be a dud, but at least you don't set the whole situation up for failure by putting someone in a job that they are frankly quite unqualified for. Sunday morning, yes, but the other 6.75 days of the week, not really. Plus, your example of last rites is PERFECT! That is a Catholic ritual that some other Christian religions follow, but only 10% of CHs are Catholics. It is one of the shortage religions. So it would be better to keep the few we have stationery on FOBs with rotary assets than randomly farm them out, potentially to a remote BN. You are making my argument for me. I will reiterate my objection to an atheist being given the title or religious job duties of a CH so I'm disregarding the "atheist Chaplain" part because I agree that should not exist.

Further, no...No, there are not a deploying set of counselors/social workers who are real uniformed Soldiers at the BN level for every unit. No, there are not current counseling options outside of CHs that match the footprint of the CH Corps (a proud tradition that should continue, but in a more religiously aligned way instead of the jack-of-all-trades we try to make them).

SSG (Join to see), one of the problems of being a minority is that the majority often do not see the ways in which they are constantly "catered to" and imagine that minorities making similar requests are asking for special treatment, when in fact, they are asking for the *exact* treatment that the majority is already getting. I fully understand that I am not going to find a rabbi at every Army base and I'm not going to ask for that, but can I at least ask that the person I am supposed to go see not tell me that my religion is wrong? What if your assigned CH was from a faith you are unfamiliar with? Would you feel well served if the person specifically rejected the validity of your religion?

To me a Chaplin is a Chaplin. When I see a Chaplin, all Im seeing is Officer rank, and a cross. I have met Chaplins of other denominations, and to me there is no difference.

Sir, is it too late to add that my CH and CH staff always make sure that I feel my religious needs are being served :\ (awkward smile)

1LT Wes Moldogo - I'm not on RP much any more, but as I said previously, yes there is "free counseling" but no, it doesn't operate like the Chaplain corps. A CH is a Soldier, a member of the unit. He/she goes to the field, deploys. He/she is there when a parent dies or a new baby is welcomed or a new CDR takes the unit. That function should be taken over by a counselor and Chaplains should be a base/garrison provided service. Of course they could still show up at field exercises and there would be CHs at deployed FOBs, but they belong to the location not the unit.

A chaplain without a deity isn't a counselor just as a chaplain isn't a counselor. Chaplains aren't necessarily certified counselors. That's a different job description. Chaplains provide for core values and beliefs and help people with the ultimate questions in life. Answers to those questions and the related beliefs and values may include a good or may not. And that's all different than certified counseling, social work, or mental health.

......yet people find comfort and therapy when trauma is soothed through the lens of a belief system.  For example, alcoholics often turn to 12 step programs seeking a cure for the disease. Twelve step programs are premised on the belief in a "higher power".  The devotees of AA claim the acceptance of a "higher power" is the only cure.  Absurd.  Many alcoholics overcome the disease without AA, yet many courts will order offenders into 12 step treatment on pain of jail for non compliance, which begs the question of separation of church and state.  It is the psychological relief of AA that is doing the trick, weather one accepts superstitious belief or not.

I personally would like to see Chaplains removed from the MSC/Bde and lower level and instead be consolidated at the Garrison level.  Having actual counselors who have real psychiatric training in the current Chaplain positions at Bde/Bn would go a long way to helping out soldiers.  These counselors can fill the same roles as Chaplains for strengthening moral and mental welfare.  If a soldier needs specifically religious guidance, I don't think its too much to ask them to visit the local Chapel.

On the other hand, I do think it is too much to ask a secular soldier to visit Behavioral Health if they have a minor issue.  There's needs to be someone to talk to before you go straight for the big guns.  Currently, Chaplains fill this role to an extent, even for atheists.  But not all soldiers feel comfortable speaking with a religious figure.  Some soldiers don't feel comfortable speaking with a religious figure who does not share their beliefs.  As an atheist, I've never felt comfortable speaking to a Chaplain about my personal matters.

As a caveat, I want to point out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to Behavioral Health.  In the past, there has been a stigma that going there will hurt your career or your reputation.  This is not true.  If this is happening to you, then your leadership needs some serious perspective.  It is strength that drives a soldier to seek advice and help.

There are more than one way to skin a cat, and clinical psychology isn't always the answer (or even appropriate). Psychology is interested in mental illness and behavioral disorders. It is not interested so much in ethical quandries or matters of conscience.

I guess this is a foolish question because the rules only matter to the Right...maybe that is why they are the Right?

Amen PO1 Ernie Foster

@MSG Brad Sand I believe there are a lot of degrees out there that are better suited for Chaplains than a Doctors or Master of Divinity such as Counseling, Ministerial Studies, or Religious Studies. If an Atheist minister really has his or her heart set on a Divinity Degree, they should go through the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church and attend one of their Seminaries.

Here is the link to one of them: http://www.meadville.edu/

Here is a link that goes into the UU relationship with Atheists, Agnostics and Humanists: http://www.uua.org/beliefs/welcome/atheism/index.shtml